Like the original that was released in 2014, the storyline of Bad Neighbours 2 is thin but the crude language and sight gags are plentiful, with the centerpiece again being Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne, along with Zac Efron. Direction is once more from Nicholas Stoller (Forgetting Sarah Marshall). The tone is set from the opening deliberately not-so-sexy sex scene. Enough said.
Now that Mac (Rogen) and Kelly (Byrne) have a second baby on the way, they are ready to make the final move into adulthood and have purchased a home in the suburbs. That means they are eager to sell their first house, the one in which they still live, that is next door to the former party house inhabited by the wild Teddy (Efron) and his collegiate brothers in the first installment of Bad Neighbours. The good news is that the real estate agent has found a buyer for Mac and Kelly’s home.
The bad news is that these buyers have a “get out” of purchase clause in their contract, which allows them to bow out at any time and for any reason … and they are about to have a very big reason. You see, at the time of sale the house next door was vacant, but it is about to be rented by three sorority sisters, who are also prone to partying, just like Efron was back in the day. Tired of their university’s sexist, restrictive system, the unorthodox ladies of Kappa Nu have decided to initiate their own house where they can do whatever the hell they want. The trio, led by Shelby (Chloe Grace Moretz), certainly won’t let the fact that their little piece of paradise is located on a quiet street stand in their way of noise, frivolity and hi-jinx.
Teddy comes into the story when we learn he has struggled to move on with his life and his best mate, who is gay and who he has been living with, is about to get married, leaving Efron without a place to stay. Shelby and her two gal pals discover Teddy “reminiscing” in the house they rent and he becomes their guiding light – and then their nemesis.
This is very much a case of more of the same from the originators of Bad Neighbours. Some of the one-liners, especially those given to Byrne and Rogen, are genuinely funny. Their “trash talk” is a feature. So, yes it is rude and irreverent, but not without its own form of charm. The storyline is simply an excuse for some more plotting from Kelly and Mac to get the girls kicked out so the couple can complete the sale of their house. And what would a Zac Efron movie be without an excuse for him to take off his shirt and show off his abs?
Moretz showed us in Kick-Ass that she is no pussy, so she can pull off a far tamer “bad girl” role like this in her sleep. If anything, I wouldn’t have minded seeing her character’s story arc widened. None of the bit players (or supporting performers) left a lasting impression on me, rather merely served to pad out the narrative, such that it was.
Rated MA, Bad Neighbours 2, like its predecessor, scores a 6 out of 10.
Director: Nicholas Stoller
Cast: Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, Chloë Grace Moretz, Kiersey Clemons, Zac Efron
Release Date: 5 May 2016
Rating: MA 15+ – Strong Sexual References, Drug Use, Coarse Language
Alex First
David Edwards is the editor of The Blurb and a contributor on film and television
